Wipro head Azim premji on Change management at IIM

[DABHI LALITKUMAR MOTILAL]

Dear friends
due to limitation of group characterictics i would like to copy/paste
Documents on Change management by AZIM PREMZI at IIM Ahmedabad Pl go
through it peacefully.

LALIT DABHI

Azim Premji on Change management in
IIM Ahmedabad Convocation

The Thirty-seventh Annual Convocation was addressed by Mr. Azim
Premji, Chairman, Wipro Corporation:

"The Indian Institute of Management at Ahmedabad pioneered the concept
of management institutes in India. It is known not only for its
standards of academic excellence. But also for the moving spirit of
Professor Ravi Mathai who began this Institute against all odds and
set its foundation. I compliment all the members of the faculty. The
management and the excellent students who have been constantly working
hard towards making it such an outstanding institution. Not only in
India but also around the world. As an Indian, I feel proud that we
have an institution like the Indian institute of Management of
Ahmedabad.

Institutions such as these have an important role to play when a sea
of change surrounds us. They can become lighthouses, showing the way
and pointing out the hazards. While change and uncertainty have always
been a part of life, what has been shocking over the last year has
been both the quantum and suddenness of change. For many people who
were cruising along on placid waters, the wind was knocked out of
their sails. The entire logic of doing business was turned on its
head. Not only business, but also every aspect of human life has been
impacted by the change. What lies ahead is even more dynamic and
uncertain.

I would like to use this opportunity to share with you some of our own
guiding principles for staying afloat in a changing world. This is
based on our experiences in Wipro. I hope you find them useful.

First, Be alert for the first signs of change.
Change descends on every one equally; it is just that some realize it
faster. Some changes are sudden but many others are gradual. While
sudden changes get attention because they are dramatic, it is the
gradual changes that are ignored till it is too late. You must have
all heard of story of the frog in boiling water. If the temperature of
the water is suddenly increased, the frog realizes it and jumps out of
the water. But if the temperature is very slowly increased, one degree
at a time, the frog does not realize it till it boils to death. You
must develop your own early warning system, which warns you of changes
and calls your attention to it. In the case of change, being
forewarned is being forearmed.

Second, Anticipate change even when things are going right.
Most people wait for something to go wrong before they think of
change. It is like going to the doctor for a check up only when you
are seriously sick or thinking of maintaining your vehicle only when
it breaks down. The biggest enemy of future success is past success.
When you succeed, you feel that you must be doing something right for
it to happen. But when the parameters for success change, doing the
same things may or may not continue to lead to success. Guard against
complacency all the time. Complacency makes you blind to the early
signals from the environment that something is going wrong.

Third, Always look at the opportunities that change represents.
Managing change has a lot to do with our own attitude towards it. It
is the proverbial half-full or half-empty glass approach. For every
problem that change represents, there is an opportunity lurking in
disguise somewhere. It is up to you to spot it before someone else
does.


Fourth, Do not allow routines to become chains.
For many of us, the routine we have got accustomed to obstructs
change. Routines represent our own zones of comfort. There is a sense
of predictability about them. They have structured our time and even
our thoughts in a certain way. While routines are useful, do not let
them enslave you. Deliberately break out of them from time to time.

Fifth, Realize that fear of the unknown is natural.
With change comes a feeling of insecurity. Many people believe that
brave people are not afflicted by this malady. The truth is different.
Everyone feels the fear of the unknown. Courage is not the absence of
fear but the ability to manage fear without getting paralyzed. Feel
the fear, but move on regardless.

Sixth, Keep renewing yourself.
This prepares you to anticipate change and be ready for it when it
comes. Constantly ask yourself what new skills and competencies will
be needed. Begin working on them before it becomes necessary and you
will have a natural advantage. The greatest benefit of your education
lies not only in what you have learnt, but also in working how to
learn. Formal education is the beginning of the journey of learning.
Yet I do meet youngsters who feel that they have already learnt all
there is to learn. You have to constantly learn about people and how
to interact effectively with them. In the world of tomorrow, only
those individuals and organizations will succeed who have mastered the
art of rapid and ongoing learning.

Seventh, Surround yourself with people who are open to change.
If you are always in the company of cynics, you will soon find
yourself becoming like them. A cynic knows all the reasons why
something cannot be done. Instead, spend time with people who have a
"can-do" approach. Choose your advisors and mentors correctly.
Pessimism is contagious, but then so is enthusiasm. In fact,
reasonable optimism can be an amazing force multiplier.

Eighth, Play to win.
I have said this many times in the past. Playing to win is not the
same as cutting corners. When you play to win, you stretch yourself to
your maximum and use all your potential. It also helps you to
concentrate your energy on what you can influence instead of getting
bogged down with the worry of what you cannot change. Do your best and
leave the rest.

Ninth, Respect yourself. The world will reward you on your successes.
Success requires no explanation and failure permits none. But you need
to respect yourself enough so that your self-confidence remains intact
whether you succeed or fail. If you succeed 90 per cent of the time,
you are doing fine. If you are succeeding all the time, you should ask
yourself if you are taking enough risks. If you do not take enough
risks, you may also be losing out on many opportunities. Think through
but take the plunge. If some things do go wrong, learn from them. I
came across this interesting story some time ago:

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried
piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.
Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be
covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He
invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They all grabbed
a shovel and begin to shovel dirt into the well.

At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly.
Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads
later, the farmer finally 1ooked down the well and was astonished at
what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that his back, the donkey was
doing something amazing. He would shake it and take a step up. As the
farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he
would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was
amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted
off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick is
to not get bogged down by it. We can get out of the deepest wells by
not stopping. And by never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!

Tenth, Inspite of all the changes around you, decide upon what you
will never change - your Core Values.
Take your time to decide what they are but once you do, do not
compromise on them for any reason. Integrity is one such Value. Here
can be no compromises, no grey. It is either black or white. And when
you are in doubt the answer is simple: just don't do it.

Finally, we must remember that Succeeding in a changing world is
beyond just surviving.
It is our responsibility to create and contribute something to the
world that has given us so much. We must remember that many have
contributed to our success, including our parents and others from our
society. All of us have a responsibility to utilize our potential for
making our nation a better place for others, who may not be as well
endowed as us, or as fortunate in having the opportunities that we
have got. Let us do our bit, because doing one good deed can have
multiple benefits not only for us but also for many others. Let me end
my talk with a small story I came across some time back, which
illustrates this very well.

This is a story of a poor Scottish farmer whose name was Fleming. One
day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry or
help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the
bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy,
screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the boy
from what could have been a slow and terrifying death. The next day, a
fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman 's sparse surroundings. An
elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the
father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. "I want to repay you,
"said the nobleman. "Yes", the farmer replied proudly. The nobleman
said "I'll make you a deal. Let me take your child and I will give him
a good education. If he's anything like his father, he'll grow to a
man you can be proud of." The farmer agreed and the nobleman did that.
In time, Farmer Fleming's son graduated from St. Mary's Hospital
Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the
world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of
Penicillin. Years afterward, the nobleman's son was stricken with
pneumonia. What saved him? Penicillin.

This is not the end. The nobleman's son also made a great contribution
to society. For the nobleman was none other than Lord Randolph
Churchill. And his son's name was Winston Churchill.

Let us use all our talent, competence and energy for creating peace
and happiness for the nation. I wish you all the best for success that
lies ahead of all of you".

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